Controlling claim costs

Providing care and assistance to injured workers and other cost control strategies

When an injured worker returns to the job after a workplace injury, everybody wins. Providing care and assistance in returning injured workers back to the workplace reduces costs and lowers premiums for employers, and helps businesses succeed. You can help control costs by keeping workplaces safe and getting injured workers back to work as safely and quickly as possible.

Getting injured workers back to a productive life, at home and at work, requires a partnership between the injured worker, the employer, health-care providers, BWC and the MCO.

Returning to work - programs and services to help eligible injured workers safely maintain their employment or return to work

Many times, the injured worker returns to the former job. When that's not possible - at least immediately - there are programs, services and other claim management strategies that can help control the costs of a claim such as:

Transitional work - A work-site program for an injured worker with job restrictions, transitional work uses real job duties to gradually return the injured worker to the worker’s original job.

Salary continuation - Voluntary program whereby the employer continues to pay the injured employee's full salary and benefits after a workplace injury or illness occurs. Salary continuation also is called wages in lieu of temporary total (TT) compensation.

Claim settlement - Settlement of a claim forever resolves all past, present or future medical and compensation liabilities for an employer.

Subrogation - Process by which BWC collects medical and compensation costs paid on behalf of an injured worker when a third party causes the workers' compensation injury.

Handicap reimbursement - BWC encourages employers to hire and retain an employee with a handicapped condition. BWC offers the Handicap Reimbursement Program as a way for employers to reduce claim costs.

Non-at-fault motor vehicle accident claims - If an employer can establish that an employee’s claim is the result of a non-at-fault motor vehicle accident involving a third party, BWC may exclude the claim’s costs from the employer’s experience.

Recreational waiver - An injury or disability incurred during voluntary participation in an employer sponsored recreation or fitness activity is not compensable if the injured worker signed a waiver.